Empowered
by Shadow-whispers
Summary: The Nega-Bands. Objects of great power that for some reason have ended up latching onto two unsuspecting civilians. Cleo and Robin find them selves struggling through kidnap, torture and superpowers for two years before rescue in the for of the Avengers. (Set after the events of 'The Winter Soldier' and contains comic canon references before major deviation. Also AoS spoilers!)
1. 0-8-4

**SPOILER WARNING AHEAD!**

**This Fic contains spoilers if you have not yet seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Marvel's Agents of SHIELD!**

**The narrative is set after the events of the film.**

**Also contains references to Marvel comics, it is not necessary to read these as the story only uses them as a plot point and will then veer away from said comics.**

**You have been warned.**

* * *

**0-8-4**

* * *

Date: June 10th 2014

Location: CLASSIFIED

* * *

Days, Months, Years, Time seemed inconsequential in this place. There was no day or night. No windows into the outside world. Only concrete and steel. Blinding lights and total darkness. Even gravity held no meaning in this place.

Sometimes the cell would hiss, causing the air to shiver and consciousness to flee. The next waking moment would be in a clinical white room. Wrists restrained by thick metal clasps that were bolted to the cold table with only a thin dirty rag between skin and steel.

They would prod and poke. Take blood and give strange looking fluids directly into thinning veins. Struggling was useless. Even once free of the restraints the room would hiss with shivering darkness only to awaken in the cold cell.

The most terrifying of these tortures was, occasionally, waking in the Fish Bowl. Wrists bound to thick heavy chains bolted to the floor and slowly water bubbled up from tiny grates embedded in the floor. Chocking, freezing, coughing, spluttering, floating, bubbling, clawing, screaming, drowning. Until then darkness clouds the edge of the world the water would slowly recced to be replaced by the familiar hiss of darkness.

The only solace was the second cell, a tiny vent at the top of the adjoining wall allowed quiet conversation to stave off madness. At first they had whispered of escape and the life before the cold and the dark but as time stopped having any meaning, so did thoughts of escape or freedom.

Then one day, this day in fact, a sound erupted beyond the cells that had not been heard before. It sounded like growling, banging, howling, screaming, running, shouting, alarms blaring over and over. The White Coats ran around their computers, clicking, clacking, saving, erasing, hiding. Then the Suits ran in with guns raised and blazing.

Shouting, screaming, running, bang, bang, bang, clang! A large metal disc was suddenly embedded in the thick glass window looking into the cell. A tall figure ran into the observatory outside the cells. He spoke as if to his ear dressed in his stars and stripes and wings and mask. He wasn't a White Coat or a Suit so he couldn't be there. But he was.

He retrieved his disk of stars and stripes before shock rocked what could be seen of his features. Gloved hands pressed to the thick glass as if looking for an entrance but if there had been one escape would not have only been whispers.

"There are people in here!" He yelled to a room with only the prone White Coats and Suits to hear him, they would not help him, they helped no one. "Don't worry we're going to get you both out of here."

* * *

Date: May 4th 2012

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

* * *

"And you're sure you don't mind me crashing at your place for a few days?" Cleo asked again as she leaned against her rental car in the pleasantly warm sunshine, she was pretty sure she had never been so tanned in her life and her skin only had a gentle golden glow.

"I said so didn't I?" Laughed the tinny female voice from the phone Cleo held to her ear while she adjusted her prescription sunglasses, it had been so sunny she had barely worn her regular glasses during her holiday in Vegas. "Plus if I changed my mind now your mum would throttle me, no matter how many oceans she would have to across."

"I'm glad you're so concerned for my welfare." She laughed as she clicked the central locking on the car and climbed in. "Okay, I am going to hang up as the road is calling and I'm sure you have lots of boring work things to do right now." The smile clearly rang in her voice as she bid good bye to the chuckling sound of her cousin on the line before she disconnected the call and plonked the device into the cup holder by the gearstick. The engine roared to life as she started back on the road.

Cleo was driving to her next holiday destination, having enjoyed the glittering lights of Las Vegas, Los Angeles to play tourist for a couple of days before she made the final leg of her road trip to San Francisco and the welcome, also free, hospitality of her cousin who had emigrated to the US a couple of years before.

The road seemed to stretch on forever with only the odd cactus whizzing by telling her that she was moving at all. The glistening sand dunes gave the landscape an endless feeling despite the savage beauty it held.

'One girl revolution' rang through the car speakers as she drove and quietly sang along to the familiar Super Chic lyrics. The window hummed quietly as she lowered the glass to allow cooler air in to circulate around the stuffy car interior.

She glanced down at the built in SatNav on the dashboard, the little screen showing what it had been for the three hours previous to her phone call, a small blinking dot on a seemingly endless line surrounded by nothing.

Her thick dyed red hair, only a couple of shades off Ariel, whipped around her face occasionally flying into her mouth making her wish she had thought to tie it up before getting back into the car. Her eyes flicked up to the rear view mirror and she caught a flash of her own reflection causing her to groan slightly. Her dark roots were starting to show and knew that it would irritate her until she managed to get it sorted.

When her eyes returned to focusing on the road ahead she was horrified to see a figure standing in the middle of the fast approaching tarmac and it was entirely possibly that she may have been going a little over the speed limit. Then he was suddenly directly in front of her and her mind raced into panic mode.

_'Oh God I'm gunna kill this guy!' 'Where the hell did he come from?' 'Is he wearing spandex?!'_ These thoughts flashed through her mind simultaneously before she managed to get her head into gear to swerve. Her white knuckle grip on the steering wheel tightened as she yanked the car to the right and straight towards a large dune. But even her attempt to avoid hitting the figure seemed pointless as he appeared directly in front of the car before it passed through him entirely and sped into sand.

Her eyes drew in and out of focus as her ears rang persistently and the air bag erupted from the steering wheel. She fumbled for the door handle before managing to pull herself out of the car. Cleo's legs faltered as she got out of the vehicle her legs buckling slightly beneath her. Frantically she looked around for the stranger she had tried to avoid expecting a body or at least someone calling for help. Hot fluid seeped into her eye before she noticed she was bleeding. Gingerly she felt her forehead until she came across the throbbing cut, not too big but still served to be distracting.

Then she saw him. A tall athletic build, blonde hair floated around his face and he was in fact wearing black and red spandex with a yellow star in the middle of his broad chest, half his face was masked but she could just focus enough to see they were a bright blue. His expression was difficult to read, mostly because of the mask, but he seemed angry which was understandable considering she had almost mowed him down. Cleo approached slowly, mostly hoping he wouldn't sue her, and as she drew closer it became more obvious that there was something different about him, aside from the really really random spandex.

"Erm… hi. Are you ok? Do you need an ambulance? I think I might." She spoke cautiously and the last was said a little quieter and mostly to herself. He said nothing. In fact he was eerily still. She noticed the missing rise and fall of breathing lungs and the fact his piercing gaze had not left her for a moment.

Alarm bells started going off in her mind that she had been attempting to ignore until that moment. She had been so sure that she had hit him full pelt with her car but here was standing straight, a little too straight, and not a scratch on him nor a tear in his spandex. Why was he wearing spandex?! Had he been on his way to an 80's convention or something?

Maybe she was hallucinating? She had gotten sunstroke while on the phone to Robin and she had passed out in the car. Maybe she had just imagined him when she swerved off the road and after she hit her head it made it worse. Neither seemed like a great option but nevertheless she slowly started to backtrack towards her car. The damage seemed minimal, maybe a little sand in the engine but she hoped it would still run. She was definitely no mechanic.

Suddenly he was directly in front of her gazing down intimidatingly. She yelped a little before stepping backwards and stumbling on something protruding from the sand. As she fell gracelessly to the ground her hand grazed the object that had caused her misstep. It was surprisingly cold to the touch despite the barren heat of the desert. Before she had even realised what was happening she felt the cold metal grasp her wrist and clamp down. Cleo looked down at her left arm to see that a golden cuff had somehow latched itself onto her wrist. Panic rocked through her as she looked up at Spandex-guy to see him nod once before disappearing. He bloody disappeared! She thought he might have said something before he went but her mind was too busy freaking out about his disappearing act to process it.

Sharp pinpricks then erupted across her skin before quickly evolving into pain that made every nerve in her body scream in agony. A pained cry tried to escape her lips but ended up only chocking in her burning throat. Thick salty tears welled up as her limbs began to spasm out of her control and into bone crunching positions. Her skin seemed too thin as vein after vein became more prominent and eventually hummed with power that glowed as brightly as it burned. Her blood was on fire and every haggard breath she took only added to her suffering. The blazing pain seemed to last forever before it eventually built so high that she felt it erupt within her and then golden energy engulfed her and everything in sight before she was finally blessed with unconsciousness.

* * *

Date: May 4th 2012

Location: San Francisco, California

* * *

Robin chuckled to herself as the call disconnected from her cousin. Cleo had been right, of course, she did have lots of work things to do but Robin thoroughly loved her job and the work she did. She was an exhibit designer for museums, firstly because she was passionate about design but also because she loved history especially ancient history. Her favourite subject was ancient Greece followed in a close second by ancient Egypt, the first of which she happened to be working upon at that time.

She tucked her mobile into her pocket before returning to the closed off exhibit that would soon be on show to the general public. Pulling out her design folder she carefully went over the final details of various sets. As she glanced over the various Greek garbed mannequins she noticed a box full of small trinkets that had yet to be placed into any of the sets. Printed on the side 'recent acquisitions' explained why she had not included them in her own designs but she did feel irritated that no one had thought to tell her about these new items that her bosses would no doubt want showcasing.

Calm determination pulsed through her as she approached the box. _'It's not like we open tomorrow.' _She thought with bitter sarcasm before she plucked the inventory list from the side. Her eyes scanned through the items as she mentally tried to think where she could include them and where they would refrain from overcrowding her designs. Slowly she sorted through busts and jewellery and pottery and plaques and a couple of small statuettes. Her small notepad was quickly pulled out before she scribbled down shorthand notes about each item and ideas of where she could put them.

A cursory glance at the box told her it was empty as she began to flip through her design folder and compare it with her note pad as she checked to see everything matched up. It took her ten minutes to make the required alterations to her notes and designs before she was happy that she would fit the majority of the new items into the exhibit without too much difficulty.

Carefully she started to return each item to the box so she could take them to the sets she had just assigned and as she did she thought the hours she had spent in England taking inventory for her first museum job. Back then she was a simple part timer that had only got the job because the curator was a friend on her uncle's, Cleo's father, and he had assured them that she would be an asset. She had been eighteen at the time, fresh out of college, and with little desire to attend university she had hoped to get on the career ladder the old fashioned way. Two years passed her by at the museum, seeing her become a full time employee who assisted with the design and upkeep of various exhibits. Until, and she wasn't exactly sure of the details, she received a job offer from a museum in America that had been impressed with her work. The offer had been a surprise but a totally welcome one, she had never ventured outside Europe before and had always wondered what life in America would be like. Robin had taken time to consider her answer, asking for the opinion of her family and friends, and to figure out if it would in fact be a financially viable.

After the studious consideration Robin eventually accepted the job offer and applied for her Green Card before she flew to California, where the museum resided. She smiled as she thought about the crappy cramped one bedroom flat she had rented when she first arrived in the US, hardly the glamorous digs she had expected after watching American SitComs as a teenager. Thankfully she had only lived there for a matter of months before a far nicer place presented itself and had turned into her current place of residence and home.

Hoisting the full box onto her hip with her folder in her other hand Robin visited each set she had marked an addition and carefully rearranged each item to the new design. It took her longer than she had hoped but eventually she managed to add the majority of the new items while still being happy with the overall balance of each altered set. Then after she had finished adding in the final item she noticed that in fact there was one piece she had not noticed when she had been going through the box. A quick glance at the inventory sheet told her that, no, it definitely was not supposed to be there. The small unassuming gold wrist cuff was clearly meant for the Egyptian exhibit that had finished the previous week. She wondered if the curator or another member of staff was playing a practical joke on her but she hadn't noticed any muffled laughter or hidden cameras. With a sigh she reached in to take it back to be properly processed.

After the briefest whisper of contact somehow the band was latched onto her right hand wrist and despite her best effort the damned thing had managed to shrink to almost skin tight and would not budge. A wave of nauseous dizziness overcame her as her body suddenly seemed so incredibly heavy. With a weak groan she reached out to steady herself using a cement pillar she was stood close to but when she gently leaned against it the plaster began to crack and she could hear it creak dangerously. Immediately she pulled away from the unstable support structure but the movement brought with it another wave of dizziness. Every muscle in her body ached as if she had been abusing herself on a treadmill for a week straight. Her limbs convulsed causing her to flop in a heap onto the floor making the ground shake as she landed. Thick cracks shot out in the marble floor beneath her and a fleeting thought crossed her mind, _'I am so fired',_ before the intense ache in her muscles became a burning pain. Robin tried to stand but each attempt only caused more pain to flare and craters to form in the marble under her hands. The gold band glowed bright and golden making it difficult to see anything clearly. Then the distinct sound of bone breaking and muscle ripping caught in her ringing ears before the inevitable backlash rippled through her. If she had been able to form a coherent thought _'how?'_ and _'why?'_ would have crossed her mind but she couldn't and they didn't. After a while she was sure that she would become numb to the pain but she was not that lucky, even as she felt it all building bringing forth new sharper pain all she wanted was for it to stop. For everything to stop.

She could feel the ground around her quake, the marble floor crumbled beneath her and then explosive energy pulsed through her bringing the numbing darkness she had craved.

* * *

Date: May 16th 2012

Location: CLASSIFIED

* * *

"Is the report ready? Peirce said he wanted an update ASAP." Agent Sitwell said as he strode into the lab without so much as a 'good morning'.

"It had only been a few days but so far the subjects seem very promising." Dr Colfer informed the agent as she stepped out from behind her desk, clipboard in hand, and gestured him forward. She glanced down at her notes and the sealed envelope containing her full report along with a USB full of various results and audio/visual evidence of the experiments performed, each file strictly top level encryption. Eventually they stopped in front of two identical steel reinforced concrete cells with specially armoured glass designed for intense strain, like super human abilities for example, as they had no idea for certain whet the subjects were capable of. They looked into the first cell, Colfer expected some kind of reaction from Sitwell but was only shown his impassive mask.

"Interesting." He said almost absently as he glanced at the charts beside her cell.

"A little more than interesting I'd say." Colfer scoffed defensively as she straightened her lab coat. "Subject 2319, Cleo Harris, female, Caucasian, source of the initial energy spike. Response team got to her within the hour, found unconscious in a pretty sizable crater-"

"As interesting as her life story is, Doctor, I would prefer the cliff notes and the files so I can get Peirce off my back." Sitwell interrupted before she could start telling him more time wasting trivial information.

"Very well," She said irritably before shuffling some of her notes "Source of the energy signature appears to be the gold band infused to the subject's wrist. Attempts to remove the band have proved unsuccessful and on one occasion lethal.

"The subject herself appears to have been altered physically to a molecular scale. Though her DNA appears to be mostly intact her organ tissues have been altered to work more efficiently than any I have before encountered.

"Moreover, the energy originating from the band has interwoven with her genetic makeup in such a way that seems to allow the subject to manipulate and absorb energy around her, hence the removal of all electrical devices and cables from her cell, and though we haven't determined how, as of yet, this may explain the physical discharge of energy." He glanced at her for a moment before she sighed and pointed at the subject. "The glowing."

"What about the levitation, do you know how she's doing that?" He asked with an inkling of genuine interest.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to determine this and it would seem that the subject herself has little to no control over her flight, she seems to float around aimlessly. At first she screamed and tried to grab onto anything that could hold her down but as you can see both cells are completely empty. Eventually she gave up and just floats around the cell.

"There may be more that we have yet to uncover about her abilities but these are our current findings." Colfer stated as she began to walk to the second cell with Sitwell at her heels. "Subject 2320, Robin Cousland, female, Caucasian, first cousin to subject 2319."

"They're related? I thought they were separate incidents?!" He asked becoming seemingly more interested the more that he learned.

"They were isolated incidents, or at least appeared to be, the second energy spike occurred twelve minutes forty-three seconds after the first. We have yet to identify how and why these specific individuals were affected.

"As you can see the subject has a similar band on her wrist, again the source of the energy, however the effects of the energy seem to be different. When we first acquired the subjects they were placed in regulation holding cells to be processed. Subject 2320 broke a hole through the holding cell on her first confused attempt, once she was recaptured both subjects were moved to these holding cells, these are the strongest cells we have in this facility and you can see the damage she has done. Most of it seems to have been incidental, as was her initial escape, but you can easily see the cracks and craters in the walls. She has been gassed three times to allow us in to make repairs since her arrival.

"As far as we can tell, the energy from the band altered her molecular makeup, her strength has increased dramatically since she had been here and the increase has only recently begun to slow. It's possible she may be ten times stronger before the energy eventually levels out in her system.

"And physically her muscles and bones have been restructured, stronger than anything I have seen, most attempts to take samples via syringes have failed because they couldn't penetrate the skin!" Colfer then realised that she had started to get a little over excited, so she paused and cleared her throat to regain some of her composure. "Anyway, I have placed a request to begin more invasive procedures and to run tests to find the limits of their endurance. Hopefully find some more strengths and weakness, see if we can extrapolate the energy and replicate its effects." She said a little more calmly as she handed the suit the envelope.

"I am sure SHEILD will be very pleased with your work." Sitwell affirmed as he took the envelope and tucked it away in his briefcase. Then he extended his hand towards her to conclude their business, as she clasped his hand to shake it he leaned forward slightly and spoke so lowly she wouldn't have heard him had she been breathing too loudly. "Hail Hydra."

* * *

Date: June 10th 2014

Location: CLASSIFIED

* * *

He couldn't find a release, no button or latch that would allow him access to the shadowed figures locked away for God knows how long. Eventually frustration wound through him as he turned away from the glass. There had to be some way into the cells or else they couldn't be in there in the first place.

After what seemed like forever he heard the mechanical footsteps that always preceded a headache. Stark sauntered into the room, his helmet open showing his signature casual smirk, once he realised what was in the room his playful superhero routine dissolved into someone actually helpful.

"JARVIS, you done with the data mine?" He asked the air as he quickly approached the glass, assessing how it worked.

"_Yes sir already sent to your private server._" An English sounding voice responded though neither man had spoken.

"Good, can you see a way into these cells, I think these people have been here long eno- woah is she floating? Yup and there is definite glowing going on too." The metal man stood in front of the first cell and watched as the woman confined within flew from one space to another. "Who are these people?" He asked quietly.

"_Subjects 2319 and 2320. Results show they are also Cleo Harris and Robin Cousland, both missing persons and then declared dead two years ago._" The disembodied voice answered automatically.

"Cleo, Robin, don't worry. We'll have you out of there real soon." Steve Rogers told them in a gentle tone.

"_Immediate release is not recommended._" The voice chimed in.

* * *

**ALL MARVEL CHARACTERS IN THIS FIC BELONG TO, SURPRISE SUPRISE, MARVEL! ALL RIGHTS REMAIN PROPERTY OF MARVEL. **

**THE PLOT AND OCs (CLEO HARRIS AND ROBIN COUSLAND) BELONG TO ME. **

**EVERYTHING ELSE IS DONE FOR NON PROFIT AND THE AMUSEMENT OF FANS.**

**ALSO ANY REFERENCES MADE BELONG TO WHOEVER OWNS THE RIGHTS.**


	2. The Tower

**The Tower**

* * *

Date: June 10th 2014

Location: CLASSIFIED

* * *

"JARVIS, would you elaborate before the Capsicle here takes a leaf outa the Hulk's book." The man she had dubbed 'Robo-Cop' said as he glanced over at the man in stars and stripes, 'Spangles'.

Cleo didn't understand how they could be there. The White Coats and Suits were sprawled across the floor. There was no hissing darkness. Only the familiarity of strangers looking in on her every move. As she floated aimlessly across her cell, as she had for however long she had been incarcerated, her gaze locked onto Robo-Cop. He seemed vaguely familiar somehow, like she had seen him before in a distant memory or dream. Definitely not someone she had known in her life before, at least not personally, but his face seemed to catch in her mind. Recently she had begun to wonder if her life before the cell was only a half remembered dream and as she tried to recall who he was she wished she had tried harder to hold onto it.

'_Iron Man!' _She thought suddenly as the word popped into her mind after being so long buried. Surely she was dreaming or her mind had finally broken for her to think some American superhero had found his way into her corner of hell.

"That's right, Iron Man here to save the day!" He said flashing her a bright grin causing Cleo to startle slightly. She must have said the words out loud but the real oddity was that he acknowledged her words! It had been so long! In the beginning, a long time ago, she had screamed and shouted at the White Coats but they barely even looked at her, except in the moments when the hissing darkness would begin. "Anytime now would be great." He continued as his helmet shut tight.

"_Accessing files now sir._" The disembodied voice replied causing Cleo to wonder if he was talking into a radio. Her attention then turned to Spangles who she could just see crouching in front of the cell beside her own. It hadn't taken Cleo long, after the initial capture, to figure out who resided in the cell next door. Though in the duration of their imprisonment she had not seen Robin the small ventilation grate at the top of their adjoining wall had allowed them some amount of communication.

"Er… hey Cap, you mind coming over here for a sec?" Iron Man's posture had changed, he stood ramrod straight and there was a twinge in his voice that Cleo couldn't identify. After a moment Spangles stood up and joined IronMan before asking him what the problem was. Both lowered their voices stopping her from listening in to what they were saying and she hoped whatever they were talking about would resolve with the immediate release of Robin and herself.

* * *

"What's the problem Stark?" Steve asked, he had immediately noticed the change Tony had gone through in mere moments and wondered what he could have found out that would cause him distress. Because that was what the twinge in his voice had been, an unconscious tightening of the throat because something he didn't want to think about had been thrust into his mind. Steve recognised it because ever since waking up in the future his mind had circled mourning his past and attempting to reconcile with his future. Then after everything that had happened with Bucky… he wasn't sure how he was supposed to keep the two separate.

"JARVIS just pulled up everything we got from the computers before they were wiped." He started slowly in a quiet tone unsure if he wanted the subjects of their upcoming conversation to hear them. "The day these girls got these superpowers, got kidnapped by Evil-SHEILD…" He paused as if summoning the will to complete his sentence, almost as if it were painful "It was May 6th 2012." And Steve immediately knew the relevance.

"The Battle of New York." Steve murmured though his words seemed hollow and unneeded.

"Exactly." The Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist affirmed. "According to these files the running theory was that the, frankly tasteless, gold bands are some kind of alien weaponry that activated within minutes of the portal-" He took a moment to breathe deeply before he had centred himself enough to continue, Steve said nothing and waited for Tony to compose himself. "-Within minutes of the portal opening and letting in the Chitauri. They were pretty sure that whoever made this overpowered bracelets did not have humans in mind when they were designing them."

"What's your point?" Steve asked a little shortly while attempting to keep his voice low. These girls were probably terrified and he didn't want to escalate anything anymore than they already were.

"My point, Captain Obvious, is that these women have volatile alien technology irreversibly attached to them and absolutely no control of the powers that come with. That about sum it up?!"

"So what, you just want to leave them here, is that it? Nothing that has happen to them is their fault, they are innocent civilians!" The Captain fumed as he glanced over at the women who had clearly been subject to abuse and experimentation for over two years.

"No, as a man with experience in an Afghan cave, I don't recommend captivity as a fun pastime. Just, listen, these files make references to GH. I don't know what that means, JARVIS, doesn't know what that means. When we hacked the Helicarrier two years ago Hydra's secrets were so well encrypted we didn't even know they were there. This GH, the encryption is so far beyond I'm surprised we managed to get the initials."

"How, then, do you suggest we proceed?"

"With the safest course of action. As much as I would love to, we can't just release them into the wild, it wouldn't be safe for anyone. So we do the only thing we can do." He paused as if for dramatic effect and then said loud enough for all to hear. "We take them to the Avengers Tower."

* * *

Date: April 8th 2014

Location: New York City, New York

* * *

"I present to you the all new Avengers Tower!" Tony Stark said grandly to Bruce Banner and, first timer, Steve Rogers. He seemed terribly proud of his new fully functional energy efficient building that made the original pale in comparison.

"It's Stark Tower." Steve grumbled as he adjusted his duffel bag over his shoulder that contained everything he owned that wasn't ruined after the Winter Soldier incident.

"No, that was blown up. This is the Avengers Tower. It's completely different!" Tony defended as they walked up to the large glass doors and passed a flock of screaming cosplayers. Steve tried not to stare open mouthed at the teens dressed in skimpy replicas of his, Tony's and Thor's battle attire. Though he did think the little girl in a tutu version of his uniform was kind of sweet.

"It looks like the same ugly building it was two years ago." He replied echoing his opinion of the previous building, earning himself a disapproving frown from Tony and a small amused smile from Banner. The trio continued through the doors, the fangirls staying outside thanks to the security on the entrances, and into the large modern lobby. Steve noticed a familiar face talking to the receptionist but the dark haired ex-agent either didn't see him or, more likely, was maintaining a new cover she had created herself.

"Nope. After all the holes were patched up the top levels got a complete redesign. Avengers Training Area, Quinjet hanger and fully furnished apartments, with Jacuzzis and R&D labs!" The mechanic listed as they made their way into a large private elevator that scanned, recognised and identified the three men before the doors closed silently and the elevator started to move.

"I hope the Jacuzzis aren't in the R&D labs." Bruce joked, finally managing to get a word in between the, now expected, banter between Iron Man and Captain America. Steve chuckled to himself as they climbed higher up the tower.

"Why? water and electricity are friends." Tony said almost innocently save for the wide grin that spread across his well groomed features.

"Stark…" Steve warned, already dreading the prospect of spending the next few minutes with the man let alone living in close quarters.

"Look, Hydra blew up your apartment, stay here until you're back on your feet and have a place to stay sans bullet holes." Mr. logic took Stark over for a moment as the elevator began to slow and a star spangled shield insignia replaced the floor number on the floor level screen.

"… The apartments aren't bugged are they?" Steve asked warily as a ping rang through the air and the doors slid soundlessly open.

"Only JARVIS." Stark shrugged as if it were obvious, which it was as JARVIS was installed in practically all of his systems, and then ushered Rogers out of the elevator.

"_You may deactivate my systems, within your living quarters, but should anyone have need of you I would reinitiate myself to inform you of anything important_." The familiar English voice informed them as Steve looked around the apartment Tony had designed and realised with a start it likely encompassed the whole floor with devices he would have no idea how to use.

"Why so edgy? Afraid I'll catch you on your favourite vintage porn site?" Said billionaire sniped with a raised eyebrow, he was looking forward to getting to know the guy his father admired so much and to tease him for everything he was worth.

"Stark…" He warned again but this time with less bite, he was used to the digs at his lack of sexual experience from both Natasha and the Howling Commandos back in the day, but he had only just started to settle and now everything was different again.

"Hey, I kid! … unless, do you go for that sort of thing?" Tony held up his hands in joking defeat before he noticed the hesitation in Steve and grasped the elevator door to stop it from closing before he got a couple more jokes in.

"Tony, didn't you have a new suit you wanted me to take a look at?" Bruce interrupted, he too had noticed Steve's discomfort and decided it best to distract Tony. That and he was also curious about an Iron Man suit the Tony would want _his_ opinion on.

"Oh, yeah. It's gonna be awesome, I need you to look over the specs, but I've already thought of a name. The Hulk-Buster!" Seemingly instantly forgetting to continue the banter-fest the mechanic in him reared his head and the big kid in him delighted in showing off his new toy.

"… That sounds great Tony…" Bruce said a little hesitantly as the doors finally slid shut and Steve was left alone in his new gigantic apartment.

* * *

Date: June 10th 2014

Location: New York City, New York

* * *

The hissing darkness had come back. Briefly, Robin wondered if she had dreamed up her rescuers. If it had been an elaborate test cooked up by the White Coats and the Suits to see what they would do. She hoped that when she woke, if it had all been a dream or test, that she would not find herself in the Fish Bowl. Anything else they had been subjected to would be a blessing in comparison to the terrifying burning sensation of water filling her lungs and no matter how hard she tried she could never free herself of the chains that bound her.

Slowly, she could feel consciousness crawling back to her. Here was no cold biting restraints, probably not the Fish Bowl then, and no prodding or poking, so not the White Room. Instead she felt… comfortable? Pale light filtered into the room, as if a curtain had not quite been closed properly, but that made no sense there were never windows and certainly no curtains. Low murmuring voices next caught her attention, not too far away and not divided by the glass wall otherwise their voices would have been muffled.

Experimentally she opened her eyes slightly and after a moment couldn't help but open them fully until they were wide in shock. She was not in her cell or the White Room or the Fish Bowl or anywhere else that had appeared after she awoke from forced sleep. The comfort suddenly made sense, she was laying on top a bed, a bed! The sheets were thick and soft, in rich gold and deep reds. As her eyes wandered the room, clearly a room fit for royalty, she noticed a particular theme. At first the red and gold had made her wonder if the designer had been going for Gryffindor chic but then she noticed the carved column and the veil of gossamer instead of a door, leading out of the room she sat in, it all felt decidedly Norse.

Ever so gently she sat up and slipped off the bed. Robin knew the strength that coursed through her and was terrified a single touch would destroy the beautiful room. The smooth marble floor was cool on her bare feet and she noticed she was still in the tatty rags she had worn for… she didn't know how long. Then as she got closer she noted that the carved pillar was not marble, as it was no doubt supposed to look, but well painted plaster. A grain of knowledge from her old life identified the difference.

She refrained from touching the fake marble and continued towards the gossamer divide. As Robin padded closer the voices became decidedly clearer.

"- meaning it was some sort of security procedure that JARVIS couldn't override."

"So when we forced the door-"

"Yeah, the gas was automatically vented into the cells. Probably put in to stop any escape attempts. Pretty effective."

"Is it harmful?"

"Not as far as I can tell, I looked over it and it seems to be a very strong sleep inducing chemical. If it were to be used on the average person the kind of doses used would have been lethal. However, it's clear the gas was used multiple times and to no ill effects. As far as I can tell they are both very healthy but it's not really-"

"What? Not your area of expertise?"

"Tony, I said I was sorry about that."

"Who said what? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tony…"

"What? I didn't do anything Pep-"

"Enough. Now that they're here what is it you plan to do with these, probably very, traumatised girls?"

"The only thing we can do, help them."

"They've been declared dead for two years now. Everything they had before is probably long gone."

"What about family, friends, surely they have someone?"

"They did, in England, but I don't think it would be a good idea to ship them off just yet."

"You can't force them to stay…"

"No, I wouldn't but you have to remember their families have had time to mourn and accept their passing. Dropping them home with uncontrolled superpowers seems like a bad move. That's just my opinion."

Quietly Robin backtracked away from the four people talking behind the curtain. Two years? It had seemed so much longer than that and at the same time she couldn't believe how time had blurred together.

These were clearly the people who had released her from her cell but could she really trust them? They seemed genuine enough talking amongst themselves but how could she bring herself to trust? Then her thoughts turned to Cleo, where was she? Her only companion through the whole ordeal and know she was alone in a strange place with strange people. As the panic started to rise she continued to backtrack until she felt the carved pillar at her back. Her fingers grasped the plaster as she tried to centre herself but instead she heard the creak of the pillar as it started to lean to the side and felt the plaster crumble beneath her fingers. Memories of the day the band attached itself flooded into her mind as the marble beneath her cracked.

Then strong, but gentle, hands grasped her arms and automatically she pushed them away. But she did not watch him fly across the room or hear him crash into a wall. In fact she had only managed to push him away a few feet which was a surprise to him as much as it was to her. Slowly he approached again, like she was a cornered animal, he told her she was safe and that no one would hurt her here. Robin was dumbfounded, was he like her, to be able to withstand her strength as no one had done before. She knew that none of them could hurt her, the White Coats had tried and the only pain she had felt was when she was in the Fish Bowl, but did that also mean that she could not hurt them in return? Were they strong like her? Different like her?

"Where is Cleo? Where is my cousin?!" she finally asked, though it felt strange to speak to anyone aside from Cleo through a vent.

"The glow stick? She's asleep in the other room." The man, with an oddly trimmed beard and iron maiden shirt, told her as he stepped a little closer only to be held back a little by a slender woman with strawberry blonde hair.

"Kinda not asleep and kinda about to float out the window!" A familiar voice called from outside the room. After only a moment's pause the group rushed out in time to see that she was indeed about to float out of the, beautifully decorated, bay window. Once she was quickly retrieved from the window she was escorted to the couch by the woman as the quiet man shut the window. Robin sat down carefully, not wanting to break anything, while Cleo drifted just above the sofa but was unable to get low enough to sit.

"Think we should invest in some kind of tether, with a weight on the end. Or maybe some kind of magnetised-" The chatty man said as his eyes lit up at the thoughts, clearly, whizzing around his well styled head.

"Tony, not now." The woman, dressed very smartly in comparison to the three men, interrupted before she faced the girls and gave them both a gentle smile. "I can't begin to imagine the things that you two have gone through, honestly I don't think I would want to, but please believe that we want to help you. If you will let us."

"I'm sorry about the pillar." Robin said after a moment's pause, causing 'Tony' to chuckle at the thought that accidental damage was unusual and worth apologising for.

"So, we're not swapping one prison for another, better furnished, prison?" Cleo asked as Robin reached up, caught her by the ankle and pulled her down to sit on the couch, her hand remaining on Cleo's shoulder so she would stay put.

"No, definitely not." The blonde muscled man told them resolutely, he was the strong one, the one Robin was sure knew strength like hers. "Though, we may have to fill in a few details, so that everything that happens from here on out makes sense to you both."

"Yeah, number one, don't piss off that guy!" Tony gestured to the quiet, unassuming, man stood a little ways behind him. Then the woman, who Robin was starting to like, elbowed him non too subtly in the side. "Hey!"

* * *

Date: June 11th 2014

Location: New York City, New York

* * *

It was either very late or very early, Cleo couldn't see a clock in the vicinity and her internal clock had been messed up since the day her least favourite fashion accessory latched itself on to her arm. Though the idea of super powers had once been a fun topic of conversation amongst friends, the aimless floating and glowing abilities of a firefly had never been in her top ten. Then again, uncontrolled super strength had probably never been in Robin's either. However, it turned out that those were the powers they seemed to possess and not only did these people understand their struggles but such things were now, apparently, everyday common knowledge. Last she had checked those kinds of things only existed in comic books and films but the Avengers, the people that were sat beside her, were part of the reason super humans had been 'outed'.

As she listened to the cliff notes of these, the only appropriate term she could think of, superheroes 'origin stories' she felt in some ways she could identify with them. The skinny kid who was given strength to stand up to his bullies, the mild mannered scientist whose experiment lead to uncontrollable abilities, the personification of 'boys and their toys' who was pushed by captivity to be creative. Then there were the ones they hadn't met, the super-secret spies codenamed after bugs and birds, oh and then there were the gods, Gods! Aliens! It seemed like everything existed and they missed the grand unveiling. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about it. She certainly couldn't identify the swell of emotions that swirled inside her as they informed the girls about what they had missed. Cleo's gaze flicked over to Robin, whose hand was still firmly planted on her shoulder keeping her seated on the couch, and read the emotions that flicked over her open features. Her cousin had never been able to hide her feelings well and so never tried. Anger, confusion, disbelief were but a few that flitted across her face. Neither had said much in response to the tag-team retelling of 'the Battle of New York' as it had apparently been dubbed. Though Cleo did notice that the longer they listened to these people talk the tighter her cousin's grip became, and considering the girl had ridiculously strong fingers, it seemed like a good idea for everyone to finish for the night and get some rest.

After a little encouragement from varying parties the girls were eventually left alone in, as it turned out, Thor's apartment as the 'God' was in Asgard. She wasn't sure how much of the stuff they were told was true or whether these people were seeing how gullible the girls were after incarceration. The latter seemed unlikely.

Robin released Cleo's shoulder once the others had left, allowing her to drift around the room freely. Robin reclined on the couch, unused to but certainly not complaining about the comfort, and the girls simply talked until the morning came. Besides, it wasn't like either of them slept naturally anymore. Another side effect of their matching super bands.

* * *

**ALL MARVEL CHARACTERS IN THIS FIC BELONG TO, SURPRISE SUPRISE, MARVEL! ALL RIGHTS REMAIN PROPERTY OF MARVEL. **

**THE PLOT AND OCs (CLEO HARRIS AND ROBIN COUSLAND) BELONG TO ME. **

**EVERYTHING ELSE IS DONE FOR NON PROFIT AND THE AMUSEMENT OF FANS.**

**ALSO ANY REFERENCES MADE BELONG TO WHOEVER OWNS THE RIGHTS.**


	3. Small steps

**Small steps  
**

* * *

Date: June 27th 2014

Location: Avengers Tower, New York

* * *

It had been over two weeks since the girls had been released from their incarceration. Neither had left the Avengers tower in that time, firstly because the Avengers thought it best to ease them back into normal life, secondly –most importantly- it was the fact that the girls didn't think they could. They both knew they were no longer prisoners, that was not the issue, the problem was that their abilities were not subtle. Cleo had to be aware of open windows in fear that she might float away and the thought of going outside, where the big open sky was, seemed to terrify her. Robin wanted nothing to do with large masses of people that she could crush with the slightest touch. In fact she was reluctant to touch anything in case she shattered it accidently. Even simple tasks like turning on a light, using cutlery, putting on clothes, took careful concentration and time. After 'the shower incident' she found that she relied heavily on JARVIS and vocal commands to do things most people never thought about. Though she found the hologram technology she was given access to, allowed her to do some things without help.

The Avengers themselves were very rarely in the tower at the same time or at least busy doing things that Robin thought too important for her to interrupt. Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson would often be away raiding Hydra bases in search of '_a lost friend_' and would sometimes be assisted by Tony Stark or Natasha '_the less you know the better_'. When not helping Steve Tony would be in his workshop listening to music, tinkering with his suits or bantering with his robots and JARVIS. Sometimes Pepper would force him out of his '_Bat-cave_' and they would simply spend time together. A week or so after the girls had settled a man named Clint Barton arrived and would come and go, sometimes with Natasha, sometimes Steve and sometimes alone. The only Avenger they had yet to meet was Thor, whose rooms they were currently using, as he either had yet to return from Asgard or had not informed his super friends if he had. Aside from Cleo, who Robin found difficult to have out of sight for too long, Robin found herself spending a lot of her time in the company of Bruce Banner.

The unassuming man had asked her if she would like him to help to her gain some control over her powers. At first she had refused thinking that, though kind, he had never experienced the kind of uncontrolled power that she had to face every waking moment. At least until she had found her way to YouTube. Avengers videos were everywhere, if there was a clip of Thor swinging his hammer or Tony in his suit it was viral, it was there that she watched the choppy clips of the Battle of New York. Different angles, varying qualities, some things were captured multiple times but there was one clip, not even a minute long, that she found of Bruce. Clips of the Hulk had been as widespread as the rest but only one video showed the transition from man to… monster. As she scrolled through videos of rage and utter destruction Robin knew she had been so very wrong.

Using JARVIS' help she found out how Bruce had become the man she knew, partly out of curiosity but mostly she didn't want to ask him any questions that might be upsetting or offensive. Once she knew the basic details of what had happened she stopped looking into it, she didn't want to snoop and thought looking too far into his past would not be well received.

When it came to telling him she had reconsidered his offer she found that she was nervous and though she tried to hide it Bruce had become very good at knowing when people knew who and what he was. To his credit he didn't mention it nor did he try to intimidate her or reassure her. Instead he took her to the Avengers training level. She wondered if he wanted her to channel her strength or see how hard she could punch if she was trying but as they walked past the training dummies and exercise machines she realised she knew nothing about the man at all. They walked a little past the swimming pool and indoor Jacuzzis until they reached a plain door. Inside was a bare room, the walls painted in cools shades of relaxing green, the floor was polished wood, soft rolled up coloured matts were piled in the corner of the room and the only other thing was an Ipod dock with speakers. She stood in the centre of the room, as Bruce quietly closed the door, and stared blankly out the window towards the New York skyline. After a moment he cleared his throat, gaining her attention, told her to grab a matt from the corner and sit down.

At first the sessions were about breathing and concentrating on oneself, getting to know every fibre within them. It seemed, however, to do very little good. She did the breathing, allowed the soft music to drift through her, and scented the aromatic incense as it wafted through the air but she could still not open a door without misshaping the handle and occasionally pulling it from its hinges if she wasn't paying close enough attention. So one day when they met in the bare room Bruce brought with him a bag. It was not obvious, at first, what was inside but Robin waited patiently as he set up the room before she asked what he had brought. She was then surprised when he gave her a stress ball. It was odd to hold something so soft and squishy after having purposely avoided touch of any kind. Robin told him this, to which he nodded, he had guessed as much. Avoiding the problem altogether had been his approach when he had first had his accident, trying hard to make sure the '_Other Guy_' never showed himself. But it never worked. There was always something that triggered him. The only way to overcome the problem was to learn the proper control.

"When you were locked in that cell," He said as gently as he could "how did you stop yourself from breaking things around you?"

"I didn't, there was nothing to break." She answered him as if it was obvious. Tony had told him that the cells were bare, literally only four walls, a ceiling, a floor and a prisoner. There was of course the vent as well but the lack of a bed and any form of waste receptacle had been noticed by the billionaire and had been mentioned when the girls were discussed.

One of the obvious side effects of the lack of furnishings had been that she had been desensitised to touch and with her new super strength she had not learned how to handle her power. So the relaxation sessions turned into '_can you hold this without breaking it_' sessions. They always started simple, stress balls, stuffed animals, and then moved on to more solid things, like rocks and books, various things that took different grips to hold them properly. As they progressed, very slowly, she started to regain a little control. At the end of every session he would bring something difficult, the first time it had been a china teacup. Unfortunately she crushed the handle when he gave it to her and when she tried to grab it to stop it from smashing on the floor she ended up smashing it in her fingers. Bruce had been unsure whether to be alarmed or fascinated that the shards had not broken her skin. Upon her reassurance that she had not felt pain or been discouraged, he started to bring fragile objects as the final item in a session. Despite her growing control she always broke the final item. He knew that a little of the self-esteem they built through the sessions was deflated after each failure but when she finally succeeded it would be all the more important.

That Friday afternoon Robin had been so pleased with herself. She had not broken the stress ball, nor crushed a rock, and had managed to turn pages in a book without ripping them… too badly and when she came to the final item of the day she was sure that it would be today that she would not shatter the glass or crumble the porcelain. Then Bruce turned around to show her what the item was.

It was an egg.

"Don't look so worried." He smiled gently as he held the egg so easily.

"I'm going to make a mess." She said reluctantly eyeing the fragile object.

* * *

Date: February 13th 2013

Location: CLASSIFIED

* * *

It had been nine months since the initial discovery of subjects 2319 and 2320, and to say that Dr Colfer was pleased with the data gathered to date would have been an understatement. The strength increase of their abilities levelled out after the first month of incarceration and afterwards the scientists under her command soon found a very smooth system that allowed them to examine the subjects without putting themselves or the facility at risk. The inclusion of the knock out chemical as a safety protocol on the doors to the cells had been a significant contribution to that fact.

Though she was initially disappointed that her team had been unable to extract or duplicate the abilities shown within the subjects they were deemed useful and would eventually be weaponised for the benefits of Hydra. Luckily, she had been given three years to experiment, and hopefully exceed, with the limits of their powers before they would be given to the '_tabula rasa_' facility and then transferred to special training where they would become great weapons for Hydra's coming out party. Whenever that would be.

For now, however, '_SHIELD_' was in the best position it had been in decades. After the 'Battle of New York', and the intervention of the Avengers, they were considered the protectors of humanity. The strongest, most '_remarkable_' people on the plant and beyond were safely in Hydra's pocket, whether they knew it or not.

This thought reminded her that Pierce would want his weekly report on the project in the next three hours. With a sigh she walked quickly her to her desk and logged onto her computer. As always she started with a general overview of their findings from the project then expanded into what new information they had gathered, and then finally she detailed her expectations for the next week as well as a schedule for the procedures that were to be performed. If he objected to anything he could inform her as such but he had not personally interfered so far, aside from the updating of reports.

After the report was fully encrypted and sent Dr Colfer leaned back in her plush office chair, As the head of the project she was given a nice glass domed office that overlooked the subject's cells and small contingent of workstations in the central viewing area a few feet away from the cells. The stations were manned 24/7 to keep notes of everything the subjects did. The team was wary of using electronic monitoring systems too close to subject 2319, she seemed to be able to absorb the electrical energy and they only wanted her to do that in controlled conditions.

She stood swiftly then walked to her usual spot in the office with the best view of both subjects. 2320 was scheduled for the '_Tank_' to see how her abilities were affected when she was completely submerged, while 2319 was left to float aimlessly in her cell awaiting her turn for the '_Tank_'. Both subjects had surprised Dr Colfer, and her team, when they were individually placed in rooms before the air was completely removed. Interestingly enough neither subject seemed to notice the lack of oxygen and continued to act as if they were simply locked in a different cell. She was curious to see if the subjects would similarly be unaffected when submerged in water.

* * *

Date: June 27th 2014

Location: Avengers Tower, New York

* * *

Cleo was floating upside down in the lavish gold and red Norse themed living rooms as she was attempting to do a crossword puzzle. She had to admit that she was in fact terrible at the puzzle as she furiously erased a wrong answer before accidentally dropping her pencil. She glanced down at the number of pencils that she had dropped and been unable to retrieve. With a shrug she pulled the last of her stash from her pocket and began again on the puzzle.

After another ten minutes of failing to complete the crossword she got frustrated and slung the infuriating paper as far from her as possible. She didn't expect the paperback book to cause a small thud and an less than impressed 'Oomf!'. Cleo looked over to see Tony walking into the room with a box in his hands.

"Well, someone floated out of the wrong side of the bed this morning." He snarked as he put the box down onto the coffee table and fell into a relaxed lounge on the plush couch. He shuffled around for a moment, getting comfortable, before he reached into a cushion crease and pulled out a pencil that had been poking him in the side. His eye brow quirked before he shrugged and started to twirl the writing implement in his fingers. Despite her previous irritation at the book Cleo couldn't help but become curious about the mysterious box sat in front of the Avenger. "Don't be shy Tinkerbell I got something I wanna show ya." He drawled as she slowly got closer. She wasn't too fussed about the nickname but her curiosity was focused on the box.

When she eventually got close enough, which took a lot of effort on her part as the floating was mostly involuntary, she reached out and opened the lid slightly to peek inside. Through the small space she had opened she could see what looked like glimmers of metal and the dull sheen of plastic but was unsure what any of it was supposed to be.

"If this is some kind of uber-genius jigsaw then I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that I suck at puzzles." She shrugged dispassionately and began to float away before he stood and grabbed her hand before she could fly too far away.

"First of all, from the lump on my temple I guessed the puzzle thing, secondly, it's not a puzzle." He finished, letting go of her hand and pulling the lid fully off the box. Her attention returned but when she realised he had begun to take scientific looking equipment from the box she involuntarily zoomed backwards until she was pressed to the ceiling.

"Whatever you're thinking of doing. Don't." She practically growled causing the mechanic to glance up and notice her violent reaction. "I'm not a thing you can poke to see if I glow brighter!" At that moment Tony was glad that he had left his 'Hulk-prod' back in his lab.

"Whoa. Calm down Twinkle-toes. These-" he said holding up the small devices "are not going to hurt you. I'm trying to get you some control. Maybe help you walk again. On the ground walking."

The two simply stared at each other for several quiet moments before hesitantly Cleo began to drift towards the floor.

As it turned out, Tony had spent some of his tinkering time working out possible solutions to Cleo's gravity problem. He had considered hand held thrusters -for direction-, attaching heavy weights, high gravity boots and a variation of other possible solutions. Then it occurred to him, the source of the problem was alien technology and if it was technology he could hack it.

When she was close enough he held his hand out to her and after a moment's pause she reluctantly allowed him to pull her down. As she was drawn closer she noticed him looking intently at the golden band merged to her wrist, she could practically hear the gears turning in his mind. Still holding her arm, Tony turned and reached into his box of science stuff. He rattled around through it before he found what he was looking for. When he turned back to her he had a small round metal device held in his index finger and thumb. Cleo looked at him, wary of any sort of experimentation that could be about to occur.

"This-" He said, noticing how skittish she was becoming "is a new and improved mini JARVIS chip. I am going to attach it to your little gold leech and see if we can't access whatever is turning you into a firefly." A pit of fear spiked in her stomach as flashes of the past two years surged to the forefront of her mind. The hours the White Coats had spent trying to access the power locked within the band. "We can stop at any point if you feel uncomfortable… or we could do nothing. I mean if we glued a table to the ceiling you could have tea parties up there." Tony shrugged allowing her arm to slip from his grasp and for her to float away a few inches before she suddenly grabbed his shoulder.

"You promise? You promise to stop when I say?" she asked a little erratically. It was like two side of her mind were warring against each other. One wanted to be able to trust him, to trust that he could at the very least tone down her powers, and the other side of her raged against the thought of letting anyone turn her into a lab rat again.

"Cross my heart." He said as he physically crossed his heart, a small part of him noting how he was still unused to the idea there was no longer a miniature arc reactor embedded in his chest.


End file.
